Our Priorities

The Radiological Threat

Radioactive
"dirty bombs" are weapons of mass disruption

A radioactive “dirty bomb” or radiological dispersal device
(RDD), made by combining radioactive material with conventional explosives to
spread it, would not cause catastrophic levels of death and injury on the scale
of a nuclear weapon detonation. A dirty bomb explosion could cause significant
short-and long-term health problems for those in the area and could leave billions
of dollars in damage due to the costs of evacuation, relocation and cleanup. Buildings would have to be demolished and
debris removed. Access to a contaminated area could be limited for years, as a
site is cleaned well enough to meet environmental standards for protecting the
public against harmful gamma rays that could penetrate human skin and potentially
cause cellular damage.

Sources Are Widespread and Vulnerable

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
"millions of radioactive sources have been distributed worldwide over the
past 50 years." They are dispersed across thousands of commercial,
industrial, medical and research sites in more than 100 countries, and many of
them are poorly secured, particularly during transport when they are vulnerable
to theft.

In fact, the same isotopes used for life-saving blood
transfusions and cancer treatments in hospitals around the world— such as
cesium-137, cobalt-60 and iridium-192—could be used to build a bomb.

Many medical, commercial and industrial groups that handle
these materials are ill-equipped to secure them, and a lack of regulatory
controls in many countries has led to thousands of missing or stolen radiological
sources. A
study by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies found an
alarming 170 incidents where nuclear or radiological material was lost, stolen
or outside regulatory control in 2014 alone.

Sabotage

A malicious release of radiation at a nuclear power plant or
research facility also poses and threat and could cause damage on a similar scale
to that caused during the 2011 disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power
plant in Japan. An attack that deliberately disrupts or damages a nuclear
facility—through a physical attack, a cyber attack, or a combination—could result
in the release of radiation that would sicken those living in the area and
cause significant environmental and economic damage. The 2016 NTI
Nuclear Security Index found that many developing countries considering pursuing
nuclear energy programs do not have needed measures in place to properly protect
nuclear facilities from sabotage.

Radioactive material material is typically transported in secure vehicles like the one above. Courtesy: IAEA (IAEA)

What Can Be Done?

Many countries have taken steps individually and collectively to decrease the threat posed by radiological terrorism by securing commercial radiological sources. One of the most well-known initiatives is the U.S.-led Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), which has secured more than 1,700 radiological sites around the world containing millions of curies – enough for tens of thousands of large dirty bombs. Other efforts include United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 and the Nuclear Terrorism Convention. Also, the IAEA has established a Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources.

Related Project

Cesium-137 is an isotope used medical equipment such as blood irradiators. However, it is also the most dangerous of all radioactive isotopes. If used in a dirty bomb, the highly dispersible powder would contaminate an area for years, costing billions of dollars in evacuation, demolition and clean-up. NTI works with hospitals, industry and governments to raise awareness about this threat and the availability of safe and effective alternative technologies to cesium-137 blood irradiators.